Hercule, Samson et Ulysse

There is some real nostalgic support for this movie, but I think it's misplaced. On the positive side, from time to time you come across some very nice looking sets. The palace exterior and interiors are truly impressive. It's too bad they weren't used in a movie that makes any sense. It's pretty clear that even in the original language, the actors chewed the scenery without mercy.

But I didn't see it in the original language. The dubs are hideously bad. It doesn't help that the dialogue is as wretched as it gets. Real Junior High School level writing, if that good.

Okay, so we have bad acting, bad dubbing, bad dialogue, what else? The story itself is just stupid, despite Samson's mad spear-throwing skills, where the same two soldiers on horses fall down with every double spear throw. LOL.

And just caught it again on television this morning, 1 May 2018. Fifty-five years later, it's still classic high camp. Ah, memories.... One detail that escaped me the first time is that the Philistines are all wearing World War II German helmets. I guess there were a few of them available in Italy in 1963.

This movie, like all its Italian muscleman predecessors, is so good-natured, sincere, and well- meaning that it's impossible not to be charmed by it. The windy, overblown score makes every little thing anyone does sound like the most majestic, wondrous thing ever experienced. Whenever Samson or Hercules throws a spear or a lasso it makes a cartoonish whistling noise to show that this was a SUPER throw, not some puny mortal toss. It makes one with he could move to Ithaca, wear one of those manly costumes (and fill it out properly), and bask in the sunshine and the smiling benevolence of Hercules and his companions. Best not to hang out with Samson though, You can tell by the look on his face in the final scene that he senses things are about to go badly wrong for him. Beware of Delilah!

This is another film directed by Pietro Francisci of Hercules and Hercules Unchained with Steve Reeves. This time Kirk Morris fills the role adequately but not quite like SR. It has the same style and some of the scenes are quite entertaining. Hercules and Samson battle with 1 ton blocks like they were rocks in the ruins. The palace in Gaza with the bolting doors is interesting. It is an Italian classic B movie, the type they used to show on a Saturday morning. There are some pretty scenes of ancient greek beautiful classical women waiting for their men to return on the beaches. Entertaining if you take it for what it is, another Italian muscleman fantasy. Not bad but not on video, look for it on the cable channels.

In the 1960's in the U.S.A. the director of this last sword and sandal film called " Hercules, Samson and Ulysses " was the first to adapt the early Greek myths to the silver screen. The movie went on to be copied again and again. By this final installment Steve Reeves was replaced by a look-a-like Kirk Morris for the Strong Man, Hercules. As for his Judean rival the director choose Richard Lloyd to play the biblical hero. Enzo Cerusico plays the young Ulysses as they set out to confront a gigantic monster in Greece. However, a storm lands them in the Lavant and the land of legendary strong man who battle the Philistines. The movie is expected to follow the earlier films like Hercules and Hercules' Unchained. Instead the director who also wrote the story consigns himself to pairing the two strongmen and their young protégé against the The Philistines and his ally Dalila (Liana Orfei). Delighful as the movie is, audiences keep expecting ,much, much more than is offered, only to be disappointed. Still, the movie is interesting fare for a lazy summer's day. Despite all, it's still enjoyable but relegated to the shelves as a 1960's Classic. ****